SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — A community panel discussion tied to the PBS documentary Amerigo: The Search for the American Dream set the stage for a conversation at Geisinger College of Health Sciences in Scranton on Tuesday night, part of a lead-up to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The event was presented by PBS, WVIA and McCourt Entertainment as a community conversation tied to the documentary. The three-part series is described as an exploration of resilience, creativity and the evolving meaning of opportunity in the United States, built around more than 1,000 conversations recorded across all 50 states.
Julie Byerley, president of Geisinger College of Health Sciences, said the college views community connection as a big part of health and well-being and partnered with WVIA to host the screening and panel discussion tied to the documentary.
“The producer, David McCourt, and his team went all over the United States over the course of two years asking people, ‘What does the American Dream mean to you?’ He talks about how the American Dream has changed over time, but also how we, as community members, must lift up the American Dream for our neighbors. What we hope people will walk away with tonight is a sense of community, a commitment to one another and a sense of a better future,” said Byerley.
David McCourt, narrator and executive producer of Amerigo, said he hopes the documentary gives people a place to talk through issues without blame, focusing instead on discussion and solutions. He said the reporting behind the project left him with the impression Americans have more in common than the public debate suggests.
“It’s the story of the American Dream. It’s the story of the last 250 years, and it’s intended to start a conversation about what you want the next 250 years to look like in America. I hope the audience takes away a desire to really confront the issues that we all have, discuss them and attempt to solve them,” said McCourt.
Alongside McCourt, the panel also featured Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon. Byerley said the documentary features Bannon’s work in Carbondale and spotlights local businesses. The documentary is expected to air on PBS stations this summer.